SME Bank’s Media Statement on National Budget 2019

SME Bank welcomes the 2019’s Budget tabled by YB Minister of Finance and sees an overwhelming opportunity to provide further support to the Malaysia SMEs through its products and services particularly for women entrepreneurs and those export-oriented business ventures.

“Apart from financing, we will put more emphasis in capacity building through our entrepreneur training and development programmes to ensure that our customers are well prepared for the changes and opportunities that comes along with the Industrial Revolution 4.0”, said Aria Putera Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank. SME Bank also considering introducing compulsory training hours to continuously and systematically empower entrepreneurs in financial management, risk management, financial technology (Fintech) and others.

With the budget laid out, SME Bank has been entrusted to provide the RM500 million Tourism Fund with the Government subsidizing 2%. SME Bank aims to support the mandate and trust given by the Government to implement the program without compromising its credit underwriting standard and ensuring more strategic financing.